Val Air Ballroom
West Des Moines, IA
Services
Electrical Construction
Structured Cabling
Tri-City Ironworks
Markets
The Val Air Ballroom 57,000 sq. ft. renovation of the century-old building was completed with its fascinating history in mind. According to the National Register of Historic places, the foundation was originally constructed in 1921 with the intent for it to be the floor of a multi-level factory building, which was not built for financial reasons. Then in 1939, a partially built covered ballroom was placed on top of the abandoned factory foundation. The covered portion of the facility included a hardwood maple dance floor, a stage, a coat checkroom, bars and restrooms. The open-air portion of the ballroom had a polished concrete dance floor. Around 1955, the open-air portion was enclosed and made into an indoor roller-skating rink and the interior was redone in 1961 after a fire.
The Val Air was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the fall of 2022 and received millions of dollars from historic tax credits, the Destination Iowa fund and property tax rebates. Shortly thereafter, numerous improvements included upgrades to the heating and cooling systems and sound system. A new 4-foot, 6-inch stage was added on the west side of the venue. The roof over the original stage was removed and a box-like structure installed above the stage, providing more room to hang speakers, lights and other equipment. Also, the ballroom’s original 72-foot by 140-foot maple dance floor was refurbished. Some of the venue’s original light fixtures were cleaned and fitted with LED lighting by our Tri-City Electric team. Our Tri-City Ironworks team assisted in rigging, moving and placing the electrical gear into the Val Air building. The restrooms were also expanded, new carpet installed, walls were painted a mint green, which was a color that had been used in the Val Air’s early days. To add to the aesthetics, light pink Formica laminate countertops were placed in the bar and concession areas.
The owner hopes to host at least 100 events a year at the Val Air, which holds up to 2,500 guests. This amazing venue can be rented for such things as weddings, high school dances and other events.
Our Tri-City Electric and Tri-City Ironworks teams worked closely with the owners and the construction team to provide a project schedule defining the design, procurement, and construction of the project, along with a detailed execution plan.